


Under Lock And Key

by ObsessionsOfMine



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Drug Use, F/F, I just needed to write these two falling in love because really, No Dark Curse AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-21
Updated: 2015-06-04
Packaged: 2018-03-31 14:49:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3982072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObsessionsOfMine/pseuds/ObsessionsOfMine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Regina had heard and read about how dragons kidnapped princesses, and she had always assumed these women had been taken by force, but right then, so close to Maleficent, she wondered if they had, perhaps, been seduced into going with them instead."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Dragon And a Ball

 They were going to have a ball that night, and Regina wasn’t excited at all for it. Though she was the Queen, she always felt invisible inside Leopold’s castle and that feeling always grew stronger during these kinds of festivities; no one bothered with her, they only had eyes for little Princess Snow White and, with no friends in the court, she always ended up alone, feeling like she might as well not have been there at all.

 Still, Snow wanted to get ready with her and, what the Princess wanted, she got. And that is how she found herself brushing the hair of the overly excited child and only half listening to her babble on and on about their guests who, if Regina was to be honest, were usually so dull and forgettable that she could barely recall any of their faces upon hearing their names. “The servants are saying we’re having an unusual guest, tonight. And they seem apprehensive about her.” The little girl looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to ask.

 Usually, Regina would take an admittedly petty pleasure in making Snow wait for the question she wanted to hear, if nothing else, because it frustrated her and seeing the Princess frustrated was a rare occasion, but this actually caught her attention, so she took a deep breath. “Unusual guest? What have you heard about her?” She asked, the hint of interest in her voice making Snow giddy.

 “Well, her name is Maleficent.” She started, a smile pulling at the corner of her lips and her voice almost a whisper, as if they were sharing a secret of the highest importance. When Regina raised her eyebrows at her, in a silent gesture for her to continue, the girl practically bounced in her place. “Regina, they say she is a dragon!” She sounded like she had been dying to share that information all day.

 “A dragon?” Regina instantly got worried, dragons were said to be extremely temperamental and cruel due to the fire running through them. However, part of her was also intrigued to have such a powerful creature in the castle. “We better hope everything goes alright, then.” She muttered, moving the brush along Snow’s hair and letting the girlish chatter fill the air around them once again.

 The guests soon started arriving at the castle in stunning carriages pulled by beautiful horses. In their finest clothes they walked in, were promptly announced and went straight to where Leopold, Regina and Snow sat to pay their respects, wearing the biggest smiles they could muster, before mingling with the others.When Maleficent was announced, the entire room went silent, nervously watching her glide down the staircase and walk up to the monarchs, a satisfied smirk adorning her lips.

 She was a striking figure, her golden hair pulled into a bun, blue eyes sharp and dismissive and lips a soft pink, glistening in the light. The sorceress was taller than most women, looking almost statuesque, and her dress, a mixture of dark purple, black and silver; left her shoulders, collarbones and the top of her breasts exposed. Regina couldn’t help feeling like she was the most interesting person in that entire ball.

 Maleficent did her curtsy very gracefully and it was as if every one of their guests suddenly found their breath again, for the buzz of conversation reappeared into the atmosphere. She addressed the King and his daughter and then turned to her. “Queen Regina.” Her head tilted to the side and her smirk became the most sinful smile. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty.” Eyes ran the length of Regina’s body and she swiftly turned away, making her way to the ballroom, to talk to one of the other royals.

 Many came to talk to them after the dragon, but none held the Queen’s attention for more than a few minutes, her mind still trying to make sense of the other woman. Dinner was served, Leopold made a toast that, as per usual, was all about his daughter and ignored Regina’s very existence, and they all ate and drank to their hearts content.

 When they had all satisfied their hunger and some of them had consumed more than their fair share of wine, the music started playing. Regina was pulled into several dances she had no desire to be a part of: The fist one with her husband, as tradition would have it, and the others with men who were trying to get into the King’s good graces and had yet to realize they would be more successful if they charmed little Snow.

 As soon as they were done with her, she found a way to slip away to one of the gardens, as she had taken to doing the last few balls. The night air was cool again her skin, raising goosebumps in her arms, but she finally felt like she could breath again; the slight breeze against her face making her close her eyes and wish, as she had many times before, that she could go, just run away and leave the castle and everyone in it behind.

 “Not enjoying the party, Your Majesty?” The question made her jump and quickly turn around, facing an amused Maleficent leaning against the stone passageway. It immediately dawned on Regina that she was alone with a dragon and her heart started galloping in her chest, forcing her to take a shaky breath. Her stress must have shown on her face, because Maleficent chuckled. “Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I won’t bite.” Her tone was mocking as she confidently walked closer, until they were face to face.

 Regina felt the heat coming from her body and had to rein in the will to get even closer to her and away from the cold. “How did you find this place?” She asked, her eyes raising to meet hers. They were already too close and Regina knew that, but she couldn’t bring herself to get away from her.

 “I had forgotten how dull balls can be.” Maleficent enunciated her words clearly and slowly, as if she had all the time in the world, and Regina found the rhythm and timbre of her voice to be almost hypnotic. “So I thought I’d wander around, since no one would miss me. But won’t you be missed, Your Majesty?” The way she said “Your Majesty” didn’t make Regina’s stomach churn, like it usually did when someone else said it. She said it like it meant something more than a King’s wife.

 “As you may have noticed, these festivities are not about me.” Regina gave her a sad smile. She was sharing too much, specially for a proper noble lady, but the way Maleficent seemed bored with everyone except her made feel seen for the first time in a long while, and she desperately wanted to hold on to the sensation of having someone paying attention to what she was thinking and feeling.

 “Well, Leopold is a fool for not appreciating you.” Elegant fingers ran over her jaw in an inviting caress. Regina had heard and read about how dragons kidnapped princesses, and she had always assumed these women had been taken by force, but right then, so close to Maleficent, she wondered if they had, perhaps, been seduced into going with them instead. There was something about Maleficent’s entire being that drew her in: the poise, the low voice, the heat behind her eyes and the ever present half smile on her full lips; and Regina found herself leaning closer.

 Maleficent lowered her head until they were nose to nose, Regina felt a shiver run down her spine. Her eyes closed and she took a deep breath, reveling on how soft those fingers felt, resting under her chin and how warm her entire body was. The whole world seemed to slow down, making the pull between them that much stronger and Regina, feeling Maleficent’s warm breaths brush like butterfly wings against her lips, immediately knew that, should the dragon try to kiss her, she wouldn’t offer any resistance. She could tell Maleficent was leaning in, she felt their noses touch and the air got stuck in her lungs, holding the last of her impulses back by a thin thread.

 A crash sounded somewhere nearby, the stones amplifying and carrying the metallic sound throughout the castle, making them jump apart from the almost embrace they were in. Regina’s heart was racing and she blinked a couple of times while shaking her head, trying to clear her mind from the last vestiges of the lulling trance she’d just been in. They had almost kissed. In the castle. Where anyone could have walked in on them. Her mind was frantically going through all the possibilities: had one of their guests or, even worse, Snow found them, the night could easily have ended in disaster. She was breathing hard, her hands twisting nervously in front of her while white teeth sunk into her bottom lip, prompting Maleficent to tilt her head to the side, giving her a long look, and sigh.

 “I should go.” Her tone was calm and collected, the complete opposite of what Regina was feeling, and she started walking away, without waiting for an answer. The Queen felt the cold touch her skin once again, missing the warmth of Maleficent’s body, and seeing her leave made her heart ache, because she might not show up for any other balls and Regina was tired of being alone, tired of feeling like a mere shadow walking undetected through large, cold halls.

 “Wait.” She called out when Maleficent was at the arch of the castle’s entrance and the other woman turned around, looking a little impatient. “Will I... See you again?” Regina hesitantly asked. She didn’t quite understand what in the heavens had just happened between them, but it was was better than her constant loneliness, so she was more than willing to keep whatever it was going.

 Maleficent’s lips curled slightly upwards. “Do you ride?” She asked, calmly raising an eyebrow. Regina was confused at first; that question didn’t make a lot of sense. She wanted to answer, wanted to tell her about how it had once been one of her favorite things to do, but her voice died in her throat and all she could manage was a nod. “Good. I’ll leave one of my horses as a gift to you; they know the way to my castle.” It was a clear invitation, but at the same time it wasn’t. She was very casual about the whole thing, somehow managing to not make it sound like a completely inappropriate suggestion.

 And Regina watched her leave, her chest so full it was about to burst and a smile tugging uncontrollably at her lips. Of course being invited into a dragon’s lair left her slightly on edge, but mostly she was over the moon with the possibility of seeing Maleficent and getting to know her better and not spending every afternoon locked up in her chambers or the library with nothing to do. She thanked the stars for how the night had turned out and decided to walk back to the ballroom to watch people enjoy themselves.


	2. Sparks

 Back at her fortress, Maleficent stared out of a large window at the sky above. She missed the wind on her face, back and wings as she flew, her heart beating fast to keep her strong muscles going, and her mind sharper than ever. It had been way too long since she’d last been the powerful and terrifying dragon people still thought of her as and she could barely remember what it felt like to have the fire warm its way up her throat and out of her mouth, wildly burning everything around her.

 It was pitiful, and she supposed she was too, but at least people still respected her. She had gone to that ball merely to see the fear in everyone’s eyes, because she’d been cooped up in her castle for years and had thought perhaps scaring the hell out of a few royals would make her feel better. And it had. For a few minutes. After that, being there was much like holding up a mask at a masquerade ball even when your arm was tired and begging you to lower it and ease the exhaustion.

 Next to her was the little vial she had been yearning to get back to. Getting high off of diluted curses wasn’t unheard of, nor was it uncommon, but her sleeping curse was on a different level entirely, since it had been perfected to the point where you needed to dilute only one single drop of it to get a strong effect. Not that the power of her sleeping curse had made any difference to Steffan when he’d undone all of her work with True Love’s kiss. She bitterly pulled the cap off the container and took the wet needle to her finger, pressing against it until she drew a drop of blood.

 Immediately, all the tension left her body and she stumbled to the nearest chair, letting her body heavily fall against the soft cushions. Her magic had vanished inside of her long ago, probably because of too many doses of her curse and the general numbness and lack of motivation that seemed to fill her days, but she had felt its spark, too far from her reach and yet closer than she’d dared to hope in years, when she’d been alone with Regina, Leopold’s new little Queen.

 She was different, that one. Maleficent had felt the magic running through her, barely tamed and oh so alive, it was easy to tell she had no training whatsoever. Yet, her inexperienced power had pulled on the dormant magic inside, making it briefly flash, and leaving her wanting. She had noticed Regina’s beauty, it would have been almost impossible not to, and she had felt the pull between them when they had stood so close that the smell of spring had filled her nose; she would have tasted her too, if that loud noise hadn’t scared her into backing off.

 And still, the small Queen hadn’t been completely frightened away, quickly voicing her desire to see her again, just as she was leaving; so Maleficent had willingly left one of her horses, almost making the stable boys wet their pants when she addressed them. She wasn’t even sure Regina would come, but in her fuzzy state, she almost dared to hope. There was a ridiculous amount of innocence and hopefulness in the young woman and Maleficent wasn’t quite sure how to react to it.

 One part of her was in awe of this girl, who was clearly so unhappy, but still refused to close herself off and give up on people and relationships, because she could see a lot of strength in her determination to hold on to every piece of enjoyment she could get her hands on. The other part, however, wanted to shake her out of her optimism, because Maleficent herself had once tasted it, and it had brought her nothing more than heartache after heartache after she found that the world wasn’t nearly as fair as she had once believed it to be.

 Her hazy brain actually considered scaring Regina off, were she ever to actually show up, to teach her about disappointment or something like that, but the idea of not getting to know her better was too unpleasant to merit any kind of deep consideration on her part. That, and she wanted to feel her magic again, even if for just a second. She had been called self serving before and it was partially true, in all honesty; because she was fairly certain she couldn’t give Regina the kind of relationship she was looking for, be it friendship or whatever else, but she’d still invited the girl in.

 She was tired. Tired of not getting what she wanted, tired of trying to make herself happy, just to fail every time; and tired, above all, of having all of her hard work be completely useless. But, mostly, she was just ridiculously tired, because the the curse had taken all of her strength and, for someone who had gotten high to take the edge of the night off, she was thinking way more than she should have been.

 Again, she pressed the needle to her finger, the slight sting giving way to the welcoming sensation of sinking. Maleficent felt her body so heavy that even the simplest movements, like raising her hand to place the needle back in the vial, were sluggish and required a great amount of focus. Her vision was beginning to blur and her breathing had settled into a slow and deep pattern.

 It wasn’t common for her to take two hits in such a short period of time, but her traitorous head wouldn’t shut up and she needed everything to be silent for a couple of hours, so she could just be, without having to consider anything else. Her eyelids started drooping, insisting on shutting down even as Maleficent tried to keep them open, and when the fight proved to be too much, she conceded and gave in to a deep and dreamless slumber.


	3. Friends?

 Regina had spent a great portion of the night awake, her thoughts restlessly jumping about in her head, each trying their best to be louder than the other. She couldn’t contain the excitement at the idea of visiting Maleficent the next day and spending hours away from the castle, Snow and Leopold, and all of sadness she associated with them, to be with someone who showed interest in her. For her own sake, she tried not to focus on the almost kiss they had shared or how willingly she would have let it happen if they hadn’t been interrupted. It just wouldn’t do to start hoping for something that might have been only a moment and ruin whatever kind of relationship they could develop.

 When she did manage to sleep. it didn’t last very long, specially for the day after a big party, when they were expected to have a late morning. But Regina had woken up with the sun not yet high in the sky, her body eager to get out of bed and start moving. Quickly, she put on her riding clothes, braided her hair and walked out of her chambers. She wasn’t hungry enough to bother the kitchen workers, who were preparing for a late meal, so she decided in favor of skipping breakfast and heading straight to the stables.  
  
  There, she greeted one of the stable boys and gently asked for the horse their guest had given her. He took her to the stall where the horse was and Regina couldn’t help but stare at it with a small smile. It’s fur was as dark as the night itself, with the exception of the white marks on it’s forehead and muzzle. “Does it have a name?” She asked, slowly moving closer as the horse shook its mane and gave a little neigh.

 “The Lady said she’s called Storm, Your Majesty.” The boy sounded like he still had something to say, so Regina raised her eyebrows at him and gestured with her hand for him to keep talking. “It’s just that she’s tried to bite everyone who’s tried to touch her, Your Majesty.” She could hear the concern in his voice, it almost made her smile.

 Still, she calmly raised her hand, letting it hang on the air, near the mare’s muzzle. A few moments later, she felt warm puffs of air on her fingers and, soon after, soft fur under her palm. She looked at the boy and he seemed completely surprised. “I used to spend a lot of time with horses before I was Queen.” A smile tugged at her lips as her finger randomly traced over the white spots and she could swear they resembled scales, but maybe that was just in her head. “I’ll saddle her myself, thank you.” The dismissal was clear, so he left her to it.

 Her fingers remembered very well what to do and, soon enough, she was riding out of the stables and out of the castle, her hands loose on the reins, so the mare could control which way they were going, and the muffled thud of hooves hitting soil lifting her spirits and making her feel free again. She hadn’t really done much riding since she’d been put on the throne and there was no mistaking just how much she’d missed it.

 Storm maintained a light trot through most of the way but, as soon as they reached a large wasteland, the mare broke into a gallop, forcing Regina concentrate on keeping her balance. Out of the corner of her eye, she could swear she saw something on fire, but things were moving far too fast in front of her eyes for her to be sure. Fleetingly, she thought Storm was a very fit name for the horse she was riding, with her strides long and precise while her steps sounded like thunder to Regina’s ears.

 When they got to the large gate, she slowed her pace, coming to a halt once they were inside, their entrance making the complete lack of guards very noticeable to Regina, but she supposed that someone who could turn into a dragon had very little to no use at all for guards. A young man approached her, introducing himself as the carer of the horses, so she dismounted and handed him the reins with a small smile.

 No one questioned her as she walked into the Fortress, most of the servants seemed to purposefully look away from her as she passed and those who didn’t, gave her concerned stares; the one who she asked about where to find Maleficent was very reluctant about giving her the information. A chill ran down her spine as she wondered how many people had walked those halls and never been seen again, but she wanted to believe her situation was different, so she raised her chin and kept walking.

 Her hands pushed the heavy door to Maleficent’s chambers and she meekly stepped in, closing it behind herself. “Maleficent?” She called, looking around for any sign of the woman. For a second, she wondered if she had been led to the wrong room, but a swish of fabric caught her attention, making her turn her head just in time to see the sorceress move in her chair to stare directly at her.

 Her dress, the same from the night before, was so wrinkled it barely looked like the garment Regina had admired; and her hair was messily falling out of what had previously been an elaborate bun, giving her an unkempt air. She was the very opposite of the sharp and composed woman who had held Regina’s attention with such a firm grip. “What happened to you?” She blurted out, a frown drawing her eyebrows together.

 Maleficent snorted indelicately. “Not what you expected, little Queen?” Her voice was rough and her eyes barely focused as she reached for the table next to her and grabbed a small vial, her fingers circling the lid as she raised her eyebrows at Regina’s silence. Slowly, she opened it, carefully examining the needle as if in a trance.

 “What’s that?” Regina asked cautiously, choosing to ignore Maleficent’s question. She could feel something wasn’t quite right, so years of living with her mother immediately kicked in and she tried to act as nonthreatening as she could. Arms crossed in front of herself, she calmly stepped closer, making Maleficent look away from the needle and straight at her.

 The smile that pulled at her lips was nothing short of ominous as she ran the very sharp tip through the pad of her finger. “A single drop of sleeping curse diluted in salt water.” The needle made random spirals against her flesh, stopping in one spot and pressing down until blood showed. “It takes the edge off.” Her voice was heavy and raspy as her muscles relaxed into the chair cushions. “After all, life isn’t exactly kind to everyone, is it?” She sighed bitterly, putting the lid back on the vial and placing it back where it was before.

 “So you sit here, drugging yourself, instead of trying to find happiness.” Regina knew she sounded judgmental, specially for someone who had spent the last months downright miserable and had managed to banish her mother to another realm with barely controlled magic, but she didn’t understand how someone could give up their will to be happy. And, just like that, she forgot all about acting as nonthreatening as possible.

 Her tone caught Maleficent’s attention and she could see the fire flashing behind her eyes, making Regina glad that the sorceress wasn’t completely lost, but also scaring her to her very core, because she was poking a sleeping dragon with an admittedly short stick. “Leave.” Maleficent said firmly, setting her jaw and sinking her fingernails into her palms. She looked ready to leap out of her chair and tear Regina into pieces is she made the wrong move.

 Yet, something in her tone tugged at Regina’s stubbornness and made her feel like she had to defy her, show her that she couldn’t intimidate everyone out of her life. So she raised her chin, staring steadily into hard blue eyes and took a deep breath to keep her voice from shaking. “No.” It was only one word, but it was strong enough to fill her with courage, even as her legs shook underneath her.

 “No?” Maleficent drawled out, raising herself from the chair and quickly walking the short distance until she was in Regina’s personal space, pulling her chin up in a firm grip and forcing their eyes to meet. “Silly girl. I have eaten men twice your size for breakfast. I could destroy you this very moment.” Menace and venom covered every word, turning the threat into a wicked promise.

 The words, however, rang hollow in Regina’s ears. Had Maleficent really meant to kill her, she surely wouldn’t still be breathing. “Then why don’t you?” She issued the challenge before her brain could talk her out of it, before she could really censor herself. Maleficent’s reaction was what she really hadn’t expected: clear eyes widened in surprise, before hardening again; the hand hastily let go of her chin, as if the skin had burnt her; and the woman turned around, her fingers flexing repetitively at her sides. “You can’t, can you?” Maleficent turned back to her, anger coloring her stare once more, but Regina was no longer afraid. “Why?” The question carried only the purest curiosity in it, echoing in the space between them for a few seconds.

 “That is none of your business.” Her voice was still sharp and aggressive, but there was no concealing the small tremble underneath it, this time. Desperately, Regina tried to understand what could possibly be stopping the powerful creature in front of her from ending her life, but no explanation she thought of seemed to make any kind of sense.  
  
  And then, she noticed the cold inside the chambers; one look at the fireplace told her it hadn’t been used in a long time. It made no sense, for dragons had fire running through their veins, meaning any kind of cold was uncomfortable for them to deal with. Why would Maleficent not make use of her fireplace? Unless... “You have no magic anymore.” The words were little more than a whisper, as if they refused to project themselves any louder. Maleficent looked away, her lack of answer enough to make Regina feel for her.

 Noticing the softening of her face, the woman scowled. “Don’t you dare pity me.” She growled without raising her voice. Regina could see the tired edge of her fury, the tiny crack on Maleficent’s otherwise compelling act of intimidation, and it made her wonder how long someone could spend numbing their feelings and shutting the world out, so they could protect themselves.

 “I don’t pity you.” Regina explained with all the sincerity she could, watching as Maleficent’s shoulders released the tension in them and her face lost some of its fire. It was the closest thing she would get to an opening, and Regina didn’t want to waste it. Something in her was drawn to the woman, she already knew that, what she’d just found out was the driving need to help Maleficent, to cheer her up her in any way she could. “But I don’t think drugging yourself to unconsciousness is going to help you be happy.”

 A sad chuckle escaped Maleficent’s lips as she turned to face the fireplace, her fingers touching cold stones. “And what do you know of happiness, dear girl?” Her stare was pointed and her tone needling , reminding Regina that she knew she wasn’t the only miserable person in the room, but she seemed to be humoring her, which Regina took as a point in her favor.

 “Not much...” She started, walking until she stood next to Maleficent, hopefully looking up at the sorceress. “But I did, once. And I think... I believe...” Her fumbling brought impatient blue eyes to her face, forcing her to take a deep breath before continuing. “Maybe we can help each other find it again.” Regina heard the layer of uncertainty covering her words, but she hoped the truth in them was enough to sway Maleficent.

 “And how do you propose we do that?” The question came after a long pause, the smallest hint of a smile gracing Maleficent’s lips, and it took an unreal amount of self control for Regina to resist the urge to hug the woman in front of her.

 She did, however, give in to the big smile blossoming on her face. “Well, first we need to get rid of that.” Regina pointed to the vial, making sure to sound as confident as she could. Maleficent took a deep breath and gave her a look, to which she responded only by raising her hand, palm up; and her eyebrows. She was a little unsure if Maleficent would comply with her silent request, but she thought it was worth the try.

 For a long moment, Maleficent just stared at her hand like it was the strangest thing she’d seen in ages, but when Regina didn’t back down, she gave an exasperated sigh and walked to the table, taking the small vial in her hand. There was a little hesitation when it came to handing it over, but she ended up pressing the cold glass to Regina’s palm anyways. “Fine, you can keep it.” She conceded, her hands holding on to one another, in front of her body, so she could maintain her composure. “But you do realize I’m not a good person, don’t you?” The implication that people like her didn’t get to be happy was not lost on Regina.

 “It’s never too late to start.” She said softly, staring at the vial and turning it in her hand before making it disappear inside the pocket of her riding coat. “And you won’t be doing it it alone. I’ll be right there with you.” Her eyes made their way up to Maleficent’s face, and found her wearing the softest expression Regina had seen on her features yet.Regina found herself unable to look away, the affection in Maleficent’s eyes keeping her captive. She was beautiful, and Regina wanted nothing more than to kiss her, releasing the pressure that was bubbling in her chest, but she’d told herself she’d be content with whatever Maleficent would give her. Pulling herself from the idea, she cleared her throat. “So, how about you change and, then, show me around?” Her cheeks were burning, so there was no doubt she was blushing; and her heart was loudly thumping in her ears.

 Maleficent chuckled softly, shaking her head in amusement. “Whatever Your Majesty wishes.” She muttered in a mocking tone before turning around and walking deeper into her chambers to change clothes. Regina wasn’t quite sure, because this had never really happened to her before, but she could swear she had just made a new friend.


End file.
